One
rider in fifty has body proportions that warrant a custom, but if
you're heavily invested (emotionally) in bicycles and expect to be
riding your bike until the doctor and your family tell you you can't do
it anymore, then maybe a custom is the way to go for you. AND if you can
afford it, AND you can wait 12-16 months for it, AND you have something
perfectly good to ride until it comes.To be a candidate for a custom
Rivendell, all those ANDs have to fall into place.

There's no
universally understood definition of "custom." Sometimes, not
infrequently, a customer figures he's paying the money so he should have
a huge hand in the design of the bike, from angles to details. Many
"custom" builders give you that latitude. In fact, they prefer you
specify everything, because it gets them off the hook if it doesn't come
out right.

Here, though, "custom" means it's our design for you,
based on your body dimensions and the kind of riding you plan for it.
You give us your dimensions and say what you're going to use the bike
for, and a handful of other details and preferences, and we take reins
from there.

A custom has all the familiar Rivendell values--lots
of clearance, eyelets, low bb, long chainstays, and high head tube--and
it has our lugs and choice of tubing, too. If you weigh 230 and want
the lightest tubing, it won't happen. Part of what you pay for is our
expertise, and we'd be rooking you there if we gave you what you asked
for.

I absolutely listen to your wishes and input, and in fact
require it, want it, and use it. But ultimately it is our name that goes
on the bike, so certain consistencies and standards must be met, for it
to bear our name. For that reason, before ordering a Rivendell custom,
it's important to familiarize yourself with our values and style, and
make sure we're a good match.

You don't walk into a Hof Brau and
complain because the vegan options are lacking, and you don't come to
us if you're looking for a featherweight racing bike, or a suspension
mountain bike with disc brakes (to name two examples).

Currently,
our customs are made by Mark Nobilette. He has his own private
business, but squeezes in a few frames for us as well. In a perfect
situation he'd build only for us, but life and business doesn't work
that-a-way, and so we get what we can.

How do we compare with other custom frames?That
is a good question. A bicycle frame isn't a live thing, in the literal
sense. It is a platform for parts, that ultimately result in a riding
position. Certain other custom frames may tickle your fancy for their
reputation, graphics, aura, fancy carving, or flexibility-of-options. If
you've had it in your head for a decade that you just have to have a
frame built by X, then you should get that X.

What we offer is a
custom bicycle that is fine and fancy, but intentionally not
ultra-frilly, by show-bike standards. Our lugs have their swirls and
whorlies and curliques, but we draw the line on fanciness well short of a
lace doily. A Rivendell custom is a frame that prioritizes your riding
position (and thus comfort) and at the same time looks out for
tire-to-frame-to-brake clearances that, frankly, many custom builders
overlook.

A Rivendell custom is beautiful and smart, and it is a
rider's frame as opposed to a collector's frame. It has the most
beautiful fork you'll ever see; a head tube that will never bulge out; a
seat cluster that will never leave you stranded in want of a peculiar
binder bolt. It will hold a tire larger than you plan to ride on it, and
even if you live in Arizona, we'll build it for fender clearance and
make sure it has eyelets. You can pick the main frame color, but there's
little wiggle room in our graphic style, which is largely unchanged
ever since 1994.

A custom Rivendell is a smart frame, designed to
answer questions you may not have the wherewithall to ask when you
order it. We've thought of it already, so you don't have to.

YOU MIGHT ASK, "How far off are the NON-custom frames?"They
share all the same values and ninety-nine percent of the details. Maybe
ninety-five. The design is just as super and versatile, and if you
follow our sizing methods, you'll get a great fit, probably just as good
as you'd get on a custom. The frames ride as well.

A custom
takes your weight and riding style into consideration, but a stock frame
comes in one tube weight only---which is just fine if you're in the
normal weight range (for normal people, not for pro- cyclers).

If
you're super stout for your height, maybe you DO need a custom. If
you're really light for your height, there again, we can build your
custom with tubes lighter than those we'd put on the equivalent A.
Homer Hilsen, Atlantis, or whatever. But to be honest and to reiterate
something we believe in our bones and can't repeat often enough, the
weight of the frame is a tiny component of the combined weight of you
and your whole bike, and "saving" eight to twelve ounces on the frame.
You're going to gain that much weight over the next few years, anyway
(or lose it!).

PRICEAs of January 2011, a frame and fork with
a Joe Bell paint job costs $3,500. Even fancier paint adds another
$100. Customized lugs can add another hundred on top of that, and that's
about the limit: $3,800. We know well what other custom frames cost,
and that we're on the low side. We'll fix that sometime early next year,
though.

To order:After much soul-searching and determining
that you do actually want a custom frame, and you want it to be a
Rivendell, call Mark at 800-345-3918. We'll send a form. Filling that out and your $500 deposit starts the process. The form may have an old
$3,000, pre-2011 price on it. But duly note, please, that starting 2011,
it's $3,500. That is a low, low margin.

And then, this: If
we sense that we're not right for your custom bike, we may kindly,
humbly, turn down the opportunity. All of our customs must reflect our
values as well, and that's not to say that ours are better than yours.
We have an aesthetic style we like, and maybe you want something more
plain or more fancy. Maybe you've always dreamed of a multicolored bike,
or a bike fitted for internal gears, or some other detail that makes
more sense to you than it does to us.

And, if you are going to be
riding the bike, 'tis you we want to communicate with. You may not feel
comfortable talking about bikes, but you'll have to overcome that,
rather than handing the communications off to an intermediary. Your wife
may start the process, that's OK. But once the ball's in our court, please let us talk directly to you. Thanks!

Our No Warranty Frame Warranty

It may seem odd for a company that makes such reliable frames to not have a standard instant freebie replacement - warranty, but hold on. Just because something that's defective is likely to break, doesn't mean anything that breaks is defective. Even superbly designed, artfully made steel bikes ridden according to design intent can break. We know that, and go to great lengths to prevent it.

We're skilled, experienced non-defective designers. We use top-notch, proven, non-defective materials. Within the few but real constraints pricing imposes, we're selective about who builds our frames. When it comes to caring about weight and shooting for lightness, we're super conservative. It's not far off the mark to say we don't care about weight, and it's absolutely true that we never compromise a frame to make it lighter. A good frame weighs what it ought to weigh.

After all that, our frames are tested and meet strict EN (European Nation) standards, which are tougher than the German DIN standards, and considerably tougher than the American CPSC standards. But sometimes a frame breaks, and that's no more proof of a defect than a broken window is proof of defective glass. It is impossible to tell the history of the frame. It may be impossible for even its owner to know it. Sometimes even good things break, and anybody, or any company who doesn't acknowledge that is not being honest.

All that said, broken frames are rare. Crash damage, and running into garages with bikes on the roof rack are way, way more common. Tell us your frame's story. We may fix it for nothing, but you pay the freight. Or we may charge a fee for the fix. It is at our discretion, but we're not your enemy, and you are our friend. We keep that in mind, always.

The great thing about steel frames is they can be fixed. In many cases, the fixed frame can be reinforced so that it's stronger than the original. You want a fresh start, but a fresh start with a beefed up frame can be even better. A thicker tube. An extra tube. Whatever it takes, we can do it. In almost all cases, a fixed frame needs new paint. We'll work with our local painter and get it to you at no profit. A repair may cost nothing or nine hundred dollars. It all depends.

In any case, we feel beholden to original owners only. No other warranty (or non-warranty) is implied, so don't go inferring any. But no matter how you came upon your frame, we are happy to advise you on how to get your frame repaired at a reasonable cost. We want your bike back in action, too. Fair enough?

My
Rivendell custom rides like a dream, and is more than comfortable. As
for looks, I can't say enough about how pretty it is.

I
took it out on the second day of the Hilly Hundred this past weekend
and it performed like a champ. I got plenty of nice comments out on the
road, and I saw several people looking it over at the rest stops. I even
made it up Mt. Tabor, which has more than a 20% grade. Thanks for a
great bike.D.Y.Bloomington, IN

I'm
delighted with my Rivendell custom. It is lively and smooth even on
rough roads. Along with the great handling, the bike is drop-dead
beautiful. Everything is crisp and precise. Mark Abele at Rivendell
built the bike and did so flawlessly. J.D.

My Riv custom was a tall short order: 75 pbh, top tube, room for 55 tires and fenders, looong chainstays, and diagatubes. It's the Riv Chica Warrior Custom that can be found on the Blug March 24, 2014 entry; if you read Grant's comments, you'll get a sense of how hard it was to design. Ah, but how does it ride? After a year I can tell you that it goes anywhere, styles everywhere, hauls anything, and makes every ride fun. It's comfy like a treasured baseball glove and sure-footed like a mountain goat. It's so dialed in to my riding and personal esthetic that I feel like it's always been with me; like my best childhood friend ever. And Joe Bell's paint job is to die for!

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2001 Curt Goodrich custom

September 5, 2013

Reviewer:
Josha Stella
from Shepherdstown, WV United States

Grant told me to go 64cm and I'm glad I did. Likely 15-20K miles on it and it's a nearly magical device to this day. Joe Bell paint looks as good as day 1 in Finn/Pepsi blue and cream. It's fancy, but dirty and very well used. Baggins Bags, Nitto hardware, shellacked tape and a Brooks B17 always manage to charm me. Buy one. You won't regret it.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Great bike and stylish too!

May 12, 2013

Reviewer:
Len L.
from Highland Park, IL United States

I have an original custom from 1996 or so. Still its a great bike and that's all the keeps me from getting another. I see that Rivendell has evolved over the years. My bike can handle roly polys with fenders with a bit of customization. Today, you can have big fatties with fenders no problemo. Go ahead, get one.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1999 All-Rounder

August 7, 2012

Reviewer:
Steve
from CA, United States

Continue to love my Curt Goodrich/JB All-Rounder. I ride it almost every day to work, and have ridden it on several multi-day tours.If I were to do it again, I'd made a couple of small changes (e.g. braze-ons to support "reserve action" front derailer, and braze-ons for front racks).Here are some photos:http://www.flickr.com/photos/9180352@N06/sets/72157602805718314/

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

A Custom for a bicycler who really needs a Custom

March 31, 2012

Reviewer:
Walter Kallick
from San Antonio, Texas

I am 5'5" and have a 31" inseam. My neck was fused after lots of years riding and some accidents. My Riv is a perfect fit, handles very nicely and is more comfortable than any bicycle I have owned. Grant was a pleasure. We probably talked about family as much as bicycles. Rich built great wheels for me even after we had a "who is shorter/who has the longest legs" showdown. Mark's packaging skills exceed anything said about him by Grant. After 5 years, I still think that the absolute best bicycle to jump on and ride is a Rivendell.